Push-ups guide

The push-up (also known as a press-up) is a universal favourite body weight exercise, recognised by almost everyone.

It's a simple yet effective movement that can be used to build strength and definition in the upper-body, with particular emphasis on the chest and shoulder muscles. This is an excellent functional movement that can be performed at any time without the need for any fitness equipment.

We recommend performing the exercise on push-up bars or gymnastic rings (more advanced), which are both easier on the wrists and increase the range of motion on the exercise.

How to do push-ups

Lie face down on the floor with hands slightly wider than shoulder width.

Push down on the floor with the hands and raise the body up by extending the arms.

Lower the body back down to the floor by bending at the arms and repeat.

Notes:

Maintain a straight body throughout the exercise.

Beginning push-ups

If you struggle with the basic push-up described above there are ways to make the exercise easier to work up to a full push-up:

Bent-knee push-up: Perform push-ups with knees bent on the floor to reduce the bodyweight involved in the exercise.

Incline push-up: Perform push-ups with the hands elevated above the feet. The closer you are to a vertical position the easier the exercise becomes. Lower the incline as you gain strength until you are able to perform standard push-ups.

Advanced push-ups

To increase the difficulty of the push-up you can try the following:

Weighted push-ups

Adding additional weight or resistance to the push-up exercise is an effective way of adding intensity and continuing to make strength gains -

Also see - resistance bands for push-ups, whilst not a weighted exercise, bands can be used to introduce added resistance to the exercise by wrapping the band over your back and holding in place with the hands.

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The information provided on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as specific medical advice. A qualified health care provider should be consulted before making decisions about therapies and / or health and fitness conditions.
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